Could new iPhone advert bring three bans in a row for Apple?

Davey Winder
Thursday, 27 November 2008 16:32

IT Industry - Market

Apple is rightly proud of how quick and easy the iPhone 3G is to use, but when does pride turn into deceit? The Advertising Standards Agency in the UK thinks it knows the answer and Apple could face a third iPhone advert ban this year as a result.

When it comes to advertising, Apple is generally pretty much on the ball. I mean, you only have to look at the recent Bean Counter campaign to see that this is a company that gets how humour and attack can be wrapped up in the same razor sharp package.

Seriously, watch it. This is advertising as it should be, it is just so funny and just so right on the money: "You think that amount of money will fix Vista?" the PC bean counter is asked, to which the response is "No, you are right, I'll put it all in advertising."

Sometimes, however, Apple forgets to put one thing into the advertising it produces itself: honesty. That was the case earlier this year when Apple found itself on the wrong end of an iPhone advertising ban in the UK.

On that occasion Apple had advertised in the UK that you get 'all parts of the Internet' on the iPhone when, in fact, and as the Advertising Standards Agency pointed out, anything using Flash or Java was excluded by the lack of iPhone browser support.

Now, in another oops moment, Apple has done it again and been less than forthcoming in the honesty department according to a newly released ruling from the ASA. This time it concerns the speed of the iPhone 3G.

"So what's so great about 3G? It's what helps you get the news, really fast. Find your way, really fast. And download pretty much anything, really fast. The new iPhone 3G. The internet, you guessed it, really fast."

So what is wrong with that and what honesty error has Apple made in the latest iPhone ad to air in the UK which could lead to yet another ban? Find out on page 2...

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